Envelope opener



Jan 16, 1940 N. A. G. SDERLIND ENVELOPE OPENER y Filed March 30, 1938 H f7 Ff .2. @l 9 fo 2 .9

Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE Application March 3o, 1938, serial No. 199.007 In Sweden February 4, 1937` 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in envelope openers, especially of. the kind consisting of a body provided with one or more slots, wherein a razor blade or some similar cutting tool with a stationary non-revolving cutting face is fixed by means of a screw and a nut or the like, at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the slot.

To guarantee a satisfactory guiding and cutting of an envelope and in order to prevent squeezing of the edge of the envelope between the blade and the bottom of the slot when using envelope openers of the kind mentioned above, a spring, according to the present invention, is provided at an acute angle to the edge of the razor blade so that its freely springing end presses against the side face of the slot perpendicularly to the razor blade, and that said spring is provided with a narrow tongue of. such a width that there is space enough for the same to be freely located between the razor blade and the bottom of the slot.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 shows an envelope opener provided with two cutting places in plan view,

Figure 2 shows a section on the line A-A, Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 show the envelope opener I0 when screwed apart into two parts with two cutting places.

Figure 5 shows a detail of the device.

Referring to the figures reference numeral I indicates one part and 2 the other part of two B6 main parts of which the device consists in addition to other parts. 3 and 4 indicate slots which partly are made in the parts I and 2, partly are formed by putting them together. Between the inner faces of the parts, which face each other w after the putting together, there is fastened a double-edged knife, a razor blade of standard shape,r at an acute angle to the slots 3 and 4.V The parts I and 2 are put together bymeans of a screw, applied centrally through the parts and also by means of a nut. The nut 'I is formed with a socket which is threaded on the inside to fit the screw Both the nut and the screw are provided with heads which by being screwed together through the parts I and 2 press the l) latter together over 'the razor blade. The razor blade 5 is placed in a certain oblique position to the slots 3 and t and is put with its holes it' over the pins 3 which are located in the part I or 2. In order to serve as springs I0 and II leaf (Cl. :iO- 289) springs are iixed in the part I and/ or 2 obliquely to the slots 3 and Each end of said springs is formed as a narrow tongue i2, shown in Figure 5. The width of the tongue is as broad as the undercut slot in the parts i and 2, so that there 5 is sufficiently free space for the tongue between the razor blade and the bottoni of the slot when the razor blade is applied on its place between the parts as is shown in Figure 2.

The envelope opener may be made with a 1U single cutting place, according to Figs. 3 and 4, or with double cutting places shown in Figs. l and 2.

The device operates as follows: The envelopes to be opened are inserted in the slot 3 or 4 15 from that end of the slots which in the iigures is shown to have a rounded shape of the slot-edges and extend to below the spring II] or II and extend over the edge of the obliquely placed razor blade 5. The spring I 0' or II and its tongue I2 20 at that moment press one side of the envelope towards the wall of the slot so that the envelope is rmly supported while the edge of the razor blade cuts through its edge. On opening onel, side of the envelope it is grasped with the fingers 25 and is pulled through the slot past the cutting tool during which operation attention should be paid to it that its lower edge follows the bottom of the slot. The edge of the razor blade being placed at an acute angle to the slots 3 and 4 30 it Operates as a cross-edge and offers little resistance in opening envelopes.

One of the advantages of the device is that razor blades of standard type, even blades rejected to be used for shaving, may be used as most suitable cutting tools for the purpose. When changing razor blade the screw 6 and the nut I are screwed apart so that the parts I and 2 can be disjointed by which the razor blade 5 lwill bevisible and accessible.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An envelope opener comprising a body having a slot therein for the introduction of envelopes to be opened, a blade secured in said body and having a cutting edge projecting from one side Wall of the slot and disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the slot, a spring secured to said body and projecting from the opposite side wall of said slot at an angle to said cutting edge, said spring having a reduced terminal lying between said blade and the bottom of said slot.

NILs ANDERS GEORG sDERLIND. 

